Water cooled server

ABSTRACT

A computer module includes a substrate having a plurality of electronic components flip-chip mounted on the first and second sides of the substrate. After grinding and polishing operations, a polished planar surface extends across each side of the substrate, coincident with the back side of the electronic components. A metallization surrounds the mounted electronic components, providing a sealed enclosure that is partially immersible in water. A water-cooled server is also disclosed that includes a plurality of the computer modules disposed in a tank with cooling water circulating around the modules.

PRIORITY CLAIM

The present application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/739,048, entitled “Water Cooled Server,” filed on May 6, 2022, which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/681,522, entitled “Water Cooled Server,” filed on Feb. 25, 2022, the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to the field of water-cooled electronics and to water-cooled servers in particular.

BACKGROUND

Rack mounted servers employ processors and supporting devices mounted on printed circuit boards. High-power chips mounted on the printed circuit boards are typically sold as packaged devices that require large heat sinks. The packaged devices and the heat sinks occupy considerably more space than the original die contained within the packages.

FIG. 45 of U.S. Patent Pub. No. US 2021/0343690, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference, illustrates a computer system comprising multiple laminate blocks partially immersed in a cooling liquid inside of a tank. Extruded copper elements having cooling fins are shown. The laminate block comprises a two-sided laminate assembly and a single-sided laminate assembly.

FIG. 36 of U.S. Patent Pub. No. US 2021/0343690, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference, is a block diagram of a computer system comprising multiple circuit assemblies, each circuit assembly comprising independently operable clusters of components, also known as tiles. The use of redundancy is described, including switchable components and redundant switchable components. A power distribution device is shown, operable to power up or power down switchable components as commanded by a system controller. A test/monitor chip in each circuit assembly detects component failures by monitoring bus activity during operation.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the invention are directed to server configurations having increased power density and improved manufacturability.

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a computer module includes a substrate having a first side and a second side. Electronic components are flip chip mounted on the first side and the second side, including processor components that execute instructions stored in memory components. A computer module may also be described as a microelectronic module. Redistribution layers comprising alternating thin film dielectric and metal layers are provided on the first and second sides. Spaces between the components may be filled with a filler material. After back-grinding and polishing operations a polished planar surface extends across each side of the substrate, the planar surface coincident with the back side of the flip chip mounted components. Metal sheets are bonded to the polished planar surfaces on each side of the substrate using a thermal interface material (TIM). The TIM may be a die attach film, or a composite of multiple layers and may have a thickness in the range of 1-50 μm. Metal plates are soldered to each of the metal sheets to form a sealed enclosure that is impervious to water except for an opening at the top for making input/output connections. In an alternative embodiment the metal sheets and plates are replaced with a metallization layer. For protection against water intrusion a gasket and a matching backing plate are provided at the opening of the sealed enclosure. A portion of the substrate protrudes through the opening at the top of the sealed enclosure for connecting to the motherboard using connectors or sockets attached to the substrate or to the motherboard, this portion of the substrate including thin film conductors and no mounted components; terminals of the connector connect with selected ones of the thin film conductors on the substrate. The electronic components may be selected from bare die, chiplets, stacked devices, and low-profile packaged devices. Stacked devices may include a chiplet, an interposer or a bridge device. The flip chip components on the first side of the substrate may be mounted in a mirror image of the flip chip components mounted on the second side of the substrate. The electronic components mounted on the substrate may be organized in tiles arrayed on each side of the substrate. Each tile may be operable as an independently operable cluster of components. Each tile may include at least one processor, at least one memory device, at least one communication device and at least one sensor. Each tile may include redundant components for replacing failed or failing components. Each tile may further include a test/monitor chip for monitoring bus activity to determine failed or failing components. Each tile may also include a power distribution device which may be used to power up or power down selected components. Each tile may be networked with one or more neighboring tiles. Each tile may be operable at an average power level in the range of 200-500 watts per square inch on each side of the substrate. One or more layers of patterned thin film material may be provided at the back side of flip-chip mounted components, disposed between each polished planar surface and its corresponding thermal interface material, for the purpose of providing back side power connections to selected flip-chip mounted components.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention a water-cooled server may include multiple computer modules that are operable when substantially but not totally immersed in a tank of water. Each module may be configured similarly and operate similarly to computer modules as described above in accordance with the first aspect of the invention. The water-cooled server may include separators between the computer modules, and each separator may comprise a wire structure such as a wire frame. The water-cooled server may include a motherboard having a socket or connector for connecting each computer module to the motherboard.

In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, a method for manufacturing and deploying a water-cooled server may include: fabricating computer modules that are operable while substantially but not totally immersed in water, each computer module comprising a metal enclosure providing a seal against water intrusion on five sides and having an opening at the top for making input/output connections; providing inside each metal enclosure a substrate having attached electronic components; arranging the electronic components in tiles, the tiles extending across each side of each substrate; arraying the computer modules inside a tank with separators between them; coupling signals and power that comprise input/output connections of each computer module to corresponding terminals on a motherboard; coupling signals and power on the motherboard to external signals and power using front or rear panel connectors; circulating cooling water between the modules at a velocity in the range of 3-24 inches per second; and, operating the water-cooled server at a power density in the range of 500-1500 watts per cubic inch of tank volume. The method may also include: providing redundant components in each tile; providing a test/monitor chip and a power distribution device in each tile; monitoring the health of selected components in each tile using the test/monitor chip and replacing failed or failing components with redundant components using the power distribution device, under command of a system controller; adapting to changing workloads using agile reconfiguration by employing the power distribution devices to invoke different sets of tiles to execute different workloads as required; and, providing lifecycle support by replacing failed or failing electronic components with redundant electronic components as required to maintain a predetermined system specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate prior art and examples of embodiments. The examples of embodiments, together with the description of example embodiments, explain the principles and implementations of the embodiments.

FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art computer system comprising multiple laminate blocks partially immersed in a cooling liquid inside a tank.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a prior art computer system having multiple substrates and independently operable clusters of components implemented as tiles arrayed across each side of each substrate.

FIG. 3 is a perspective external view of a water-cooled server in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view corresponding to section AA of FIG. 3 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a second cross-sectional view of the water-cooled server of FIG. 3 , wherein separators are included between the computer modules in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an expanded cross-sectional view of a computer module in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is flow chart of a method for manufacturing and deploying a water-cooled server in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is an expanded cross-sectional view of a computer module in accordance with a further embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary pattern of thin film conductors provided for backside power distribution in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is an expanded cross-sectional view of a computer module in accordance with a further embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is an expanded cross-sectional view of a computer module in accordance with a further embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 illustrates a thermal model for an NVIDIA H100 SXM device mounted on a substrate in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 illustrates an alternative thermal model for an NVIDIA H100 SXM device mounted on a substrate in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 (Prior Art) illustrates a computer system 10 comprising multiple laminate blocks 11 partially immersed in a cooling liquid 12 inside of a tank 13. Extruded copper elements 14 having cooling fins are shown. A laminate block 11 comprises a two-sided laminate assembly 15 having copper elements on two sides, and a single-sided laminate assembly 16 having a copper element on one side.

FIG. 2 (Prior Art) is a block diagram 20 of a computer system 21 having independently operable clusters of components implemented as tiles such as 24 a, 24 b, 24 c, 24 d, arrayed across each side of each substrate 22 in the computer system. Computer system 21 includes a motherboard 23 a, a system controller 23 b, and a system input/output connector 23 c that is connected to external signals and power 23 d. Sensors 27 that communicate with the system controller 23 b are also shown. System controller 23 b may communicate with each tile using a serial control bus 26 f that connects with a test/monitor chip 26 a and a power distribution device 26 b. Switchable components 26 c and redundant switchable components 26 d may be powered up or powered down by power distribution device 26 b, under command of the system controller 23 b.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed towards tiles, including the following tile embodiments. Each tile may be operable as an independently operable cluster of components. Each tile may include at least one processor, at least one memory device, at least one communication device, and at least one sensor. Each tile preferably includes redundant components, a test/monitor chip, and a power distribution device. Redundant components are provided for each mounted component that could fail. All originally-mounted components that could fail as well as redundant components are switchable between a powered-up state and a powered-down state using the power distribution device, under command of a system controller. The system controller is connected to all yield-related mounted components via a serial bus and maintains a status for all such components. The powered-down state may be a zero-power state or a low-power state. Transitions between powered-down and powered-up states are preferably slow-ramp transitions to avoid injecting noise during the transitions. The test/monitor chip is coupled to system buses and monitors the activity on the system buses to determine if a mounted device has failed or is starting to fail. Information is shared between temperature sensors and the test/monitor chip and the system controller because imminent failure may be signaled by a localized increase in temperature. Each tile is networked with one or more neighbors for sharing information and for system recovery by powering down failed tiles that are not recoverable using redundancy, while maintaining system connectivity between surviving tiles.

Embodiments of the invention are also directed to agile reconfiguration. In one embodiment, agile reconfiguration is directed to the ability to apply redundancy to recover from faults, and to provide workload adaptation, and to provide graceful reconfiguration rather than degradation over a life cycle.

Embodiments of the invention are also directed to a water-cooled server. The water cooled server includes a plurality of computer modules operable when partially immersed in a tank of water, wherein each computer module comprises: a substrate; redistribution layers comprising thin film conductors and thin film dielectrics formed on a first side and a second side of the substrate, wherein selected thin film conductors have a half-pitch of 2 μm or less; a plurality of electronic components flip-chip mounted on the substrate at connection points provided by the thin film conductors; a filler material disposed in spaces between the flip-chip mounted components; a polished planar surface at the backside of the flip-chip mounted components at each of the first side and the second side of the substrate; a first metal sheet on the first side and a second metal sheet on the second side of the substrate, each metal sheet bonded to a corresponding polished planar surface using a thermal interface material; and, metal plates attached to the first metal sheet and the second metal sheet to form a sealed enclosure that is impervious to water except for an opening at the top for making input/output connections.

FIG. 3 illustrates a water-cooled server 30 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Server 30 includes a tank 31, an inlet 32 for cooling water 33, and an input/output connector 34. Cooling fluids other than water may be used; for example, ethylene glycol may be used in some environments; dielectric fluids may be used in other environments. Other dimensions may be used; the dimensions shown are convenient for lifting by a service person after water has been drained from the tank. Multiple input/output connectors 34 may be used; for example, a connector may comprise coupling of a fiber-optic cable for high-speed communications between servers; power connectors may be larger in size. A water inlet structure having an opening 32 may be shaped to accommodate input/output connectors, and a water outlet structure (not shown) may similarly be shaped to accommodate input/output connectors at a rear panel.

In one embodiment, the dimensions of the water-cooled server 30 are a width of 19 inches, a height of 9 inches and a length of 36 inches. It will be appreciated that these dimensions are exemplary and that the actual dimensions may vary from those shown in FIG. 3 .

FIG. 4 illustrates in cross-section water-cooled server 30 through line A-A in FIG. 3 . As shown in FIG. 4 , multiple computer modules 41 are immersed in cooling water 42, inside of a tank 31. Each computer module 41 is coupled to a motherboard 43 using for example a socketed connection. A lid 44 of tank 31 is shown. The labeled elements in FIG. 4 are shown approximately to scale, to indicate their relative size. However, different shapes, scales, and dimensions are covered by the present disclosure. Tank 31 may comprise stainless steel or any other metal; to mitigate potential chemical interactions between dissimilar metals, tank 31 may comprise brass for example.

FIG. 5 illustrates the use of separators 51 between computer modules 41 in a water-cooled server 30 b. Consistent spacing of the computer modules may be desirable for uniform cooling. Separators 51 may comprise a wire structure such as a wire frame, chosen to create minimal impediment to water flow. For example, the wire of a wire frame separator may have a diameter of around, for example, 0.5 mm, which is much smaller than an exemplary spacing between modules of 5 mm. A manufacturing sequence may comprise alternating placements of computer modules 41 and separators 51 into tank 31. When the computer modules and separators are well positioned, matching sockets in motherboard 43 conveniently engage with computer modules 41. In one embodiment, computer modules and separators may be varied in size within tank 31 to accommodate different tiles for different purposes, where the power requirements may vary. For example, a first substrate may comprise CPU-intensive tiles that dissipate more power than a second substrate comprising memory-intensive or sensor-intensive tiles; the separators adjacent corresponding computer modules may be width-adjusted to implement a wider spacing and a greater water flow adjacent the higher-power computer modules containing the higher-powered substrates. A further example is a computer server that is adaptable to perform (i) inference, (ii) analysis, and (iii) training in a machine learning application, wherein for each different configuration a system controller may invoke different substrates having different levels of power dissipation.

FIG. 6 illustrates a computer module 41 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. An expanded scale is used to reveal details such as redistribution layers 54 and sheets of thermal interface material 55 a, 55 b, each of which may be only a few micrometers thick. The redistribution layers 54 include thin film conductors and thin film dielectrics fabricated on substrate 53. Possible substrate materials include glass, as used in flat panel displays (FPDs), or an organic substrate augmented with finely patterned redistribution layers (RDLs). The latter arrangement may be described as “fan-out on substrate”. Selected thin film conductors on substrate 53 have a half-pitch of 2 μm or less to accommodate attachment of modern devices such as high bandwidth memories (HBMs) which have dense input/output configurations for attaching to a substrate. To achieve this half-pitch resolution, advanced lithography systems may be used; an example is a CANON MPAsp-E903T which is a wide-field lithographic system capable of resolving 1.2 μm line and space features across Gen6 glass panels that measure 1500×1850 mm. A second example is maskless imaging by EV GROUP, achieving 2 μm line and space resolution without a substrate size limitation.

FIG. 6 also illustrates circuit assemblies 56 a and 56 b that each comprise attachments of flip chip components to substrate 53. To minimize potential warpage issues, it may be desirable to create circuit assembly 56 b as a mirror image of circuit assembly 56 a. Circuit assembly 56 a is shown with semiconductor components such as a bare die or chiplet 57, a stacked device comprising an interposer 58, or a stacked device comprising a bridge device 59. Arrow 60 indicates a polished planar surface for the use of thin thermal interface materials (TIMs) 55 a, 55 b, which is further beneficial to cooling performance. In an embodiment TIM 55 a may comprise die attach film ESP7660-HK-DAF from AI TECHNOLOGY which is available in a thickness range of 10-40 μm. A thickness range of 1-50 μm may be used for TIM 55 a. Other materials may be used, including layered films and composites of layered films.

FIG. 6 also illustrates filler material 61 disposed between the semiconductor elements. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, filler material 61 provides mechanical support during back-grinding and polishing operations, thereby enhancing the achievable surface properties (such as surface smoothness) at the polished planar surface shown at arrow 60. Filler material 61 may comprise a molding compound such as epoxy molding compound (EMC).

The electronic components inside a computer module 41 may be damaged by exposure to water. In forming a sealed enclosure, copper sheets or other metal members are impervious to water. Some protection against water intrusion is provided by the filler material 61. Further protection is provided by gasket 65, as described further herein.

FIG. 6 also illustrates sheets 62 a and 62 b that are bonded to circuit assemblies 56 a and 56 b using TIMs 55 a, 55 b. A base plate 63 and end plates (not shown) are attached to sheets 62 a and 62 b using solder 64 to achieve a sealed enclosure that prevents water intrusion into computer module 41, for the portion of module 41 to be immersed in water. sheets 62 a and 62 b and base plate 63 may comprise another material such as brass which has slightly less desirable thermal conductivity but may be easier to polish to the desired surface roughness for mating with a microscopically thin TIM.

FIG. 6 also illustrates a protrusion 64 of substrate 53 protruding through gasket 65 and a matching backing plate 66. The backing plate 66 compresses the gasket 65 against edges of the sheets 62 a, 62 b, to provide a water seal. Gasket 65 may comprise neoprene rubber, silicone rubber, EPDM rubber, or blends of these materials to provide a compliant material and an effective water seal. Backing plate 66 may comprise stainless steel for example and includes a slot 67 for substrate 53 to pass through. Protrusion 64 comprises a portion of the substrate having thin film conductors and no mounted components; it may be described as an “edge connector”. The thin film conductors are available for contacting corresponding terminals of a socket or connector 68 that may attach via pins 69 to motherboard 43 as shown. To prevent shorting of thin film conductors with a conductive backing plate 66, an insulating material (not shown) may be interposed between them. A non-conductive material such as an alumina ceramic may also be used for the backing plate 66. Motherboard 43 may comprise a conventional glass-epoxy substrate. Alternatively, a different version of connector 68 may be attached to computer module 41 at protrusion 64. Since water-cooled server 30 is 36 inches long in the example shown in FIG. 3 , there is ample space available to use multiple connectors 68 along the length of substrate 53, as may be required for large numbers of input/output connections. sheets 62 a and 62 b, together with base plate 63 and end-plates (not shown) comprise a sealed enclosure with an opening at the top, preventing water intrusion into circuit assemblies 56 a and 56 b. The opening at the top may be described as an input/output port. Water seepage could damage electronic components such as 57, 58, and 59. Some protection is provided by filler 61. The combination of gasket 65 and backing plate 66 provides further protection against seepage of water into circuit assemblies 56 a and 56 b, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a method for manufacturing and deploying a water-cooled server 70 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 7 , the method includes fabricating computer modules that are operable in water, each computer module comprising a sealed copper enclosure having an opening at the top for making input/output connections (71); providing inside each module enclosure a substrate having attached electronic components (72); arraying the computer modules inside a tank with separators between them (73); coupling signals and power on each computer module to corresponding terminals on a motherboard (74); coupling signals and power on the motherboard to external signals and power using front or rear panel connectors (75); circulating cooling water between the modules at a velocity in the range of 3-24 inches per second (76); operating the water-cooled server at a power density in the range of 500-1500 watts per cubic inch of tank volume (77). It will be appreciated that the method 70 may include fewer or additional steps than those illustrated in FIG. 7 . It will be appreciated that some of the steps may be performed simultaneously and some of the steps may be performed in a different order.

The method may also include one or more of arranging the electronic components in tiles that extend across each side of the substrate; providing redundant components in each tile; providing a test/monitor chip and a power distribution device in each tile; monitoring the health of selected components in each tile using the test/monitor chip and replacing failed or failing components with redundant components using the power distribution device, under command of a system controller; adapting to changing workloads using agile reconfiguration by employing the power distribution devices to invoke different sets of tiles to execute different workloads as required; and, providing lifecycle support by replacing failed or failing electronic components with redundant electronic components as required to maintain a predetermined system specification.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing a computer module may include providing a substrate; fabricating redistribution layers having a half-pitch resolution or 2 μm or less on a first side and a second side of the substrate; mounting a plurality of flip-chip components on each of the first side and the second side of the substrate; disposing a filler material between the plurality of flip-chip components on each of the first and the second sides of the substrate; back-grinding and polishing to create a polished planar surface extending across the substrate at the backside of the flip-chip mounted components on each of the first and the second sides of the substrate; bonding a first metal sheet to the polished planar surface on the first side of the substrate and bonding a second metal sheet to the polished planar surface on the second side of the substrate; and, attaching metal plates (strips of metal having approximately the same composition and thickness as the metal sheets) to the first metal sheet and the second metal sheet to form a sealed enclosure that is impervious to water except for an opening at a top side of each computer module for making input/output connections.

The attachment of semiconductor components to substrate 53 in FIG. 6 may comprise different types of terminals such as solder-tipped copper pillar bumps 52, having a simplified representation shown in FIG. 6 , or hybrid bonds. Hybrid bonds comprise embedded copper pads that connect in a mating process without any visible bumps and can be used with higher input/output density than bumped connections. Other forms of bumps/attachments may be used.

Embodiments of the water-cooled server described herein can achieve an average power density of around 1 kilowatt per cubic inch of server tank volume, as will be further described. For comparison, the 4-GPU IBM Power AC922 server model 8335GTW has dimensions 17.4×3.4×33.3 inches. It is water cooled using cooling tubes with a flow rate of around 1 gallon per minute and has a maximum power consumption of 2,300 W. The maximum power density is 2,300/1,970=1.2 watts per cubic inch. The difference in power density between this recent state-of-the-art server and the water-cooled server 30 illustrates the utility of the proposed computer architecture. A compaction factor for electronic systems is closely related to power density. Assuming the same chips are used, the total power dissipation will be the same and the volume will be inversely proportional to power density. Accordingly, a compaction factor approaching 800×may be achievable for a computer system having the architecture described herein compared with a conventional system employing glass-epoxy printed circuit boards with assorted electronic packages and assemblies mounted thereon, including heat sinks where necessary. Thus, variations of embodiments described herein may be advantageously applied to electronic systems where space is at a premium or aggressive cooling is required.

The following calculations are provided in support of the power density claims; they relate to FIGS. 3-6 for water-cooled server 30. An average power density of 0.31 W/mm² is assumed for semiconductor components attached to substrate 53 of FIG. 6 . This average power density is consistent with a tile area of 2000 mm² having the following mounted components: an EPYC chip measuring 28×36 mm having a power dissipation of 271 watts; a VEGA 10 GPU measuring 22×22 mm having a power dissipation of 300 watts, and an assortment of lower powered chips having an area of 500 mm² and a combined power dissipation of 50 watts. An interconnection street having a width of 1 mm is provided around each component. On each side of substrate 53 an area of 212×864 mm is provided, with one inch at each end of water-cooled server 30 reserved for input/output connectors. Including two sides, the total substrate area available for component mounting is 366,336 mm² or 568 in². Thus, the total power per substrate 53 (and the total power per computer module 41) is 366,336 mm²×0.31 W/mm²⁼¹¹⁴ kW. Water-cooled server 30 comprises 55 computer modules 41 as shown in FIG. 4 . Thus, the total power for water-cooled server 30 is 55×114 kW or 6.3 MW. The total volume of server 30 is 9×19×36 inches or 6,156 in³. The power density per cubic inch of server volume is 6.3 MW/6,156 in⁼³=1 kW/in³.

The junction temperature of a high-powered device mounted on a substrate 53 in a computer module 41 will now be calculated. In an embodiment the TIM material 55 a is die attach film ESP7660-HK-DAF from AI TECHNOLOGY. The high-power chip under consideration is the VEGA 10 GPU measuring 22×22 mm and having a power dissipation of 300 watts. The cross-sectional area available for water flow along the length of water-cooled server 30 is 5 mm×215 mm×56=60,200 mm² or 93.3 in² from FIG. 4 . In an embodiment the water has an average flow velocity of 14 inches per second leading to a water flow rate of 1,306 in³/sec or 5.65 gallons per second or 339 gallons per minute (gpm). A different flow velocity may be used. For example, a flow velocity of 3-24 inches per second may be used in embodiments of the present disclosure. A different water flow rate may be used. For example, a flow rate of 200-500 gpm may be employed in embodiments of the present disclosure. The mass flow rate equation may be used: ΔT=q/(m_(dot)*C_(p)), where ΔT is the temperature rise in degrees Centigrade, q is the dissipated power in watts, M_(dot) is the mass flow rate in grams per sec, and Cp is the specific heat of water (4.186 J/gm° C.). This results in a ΔT of 70° C. which means that the water temperature at the outlet will be 70° C. warmer than at the inlet when water-cooled server 30 is dissipating 6.3 MW of heat. The heat path starting at the VEGA 10 GPU chip, passing through the TIM and the copper sheet to reach the cooling water will add an additional ΔT of 2° C. as shown in Table 1 below. A is the area of an element in the heat path, t is the corresponding thickness, P is the power flowing through the element, 6th is the thermal conductivity, θ is the thermal resistance, and ΔT is the temperature difference across the element.

TABLE 1 A t P σ_(th) θ Part mm² mm W W/m ° C. ° C./W ΔT VEGA 10 GPU 484 1 300 149 0.00325 0.974 die attach film 484 0.01 300 1.8 0.00269 0.807 copper sheet 529 0.5 300 390 0.00068 0.203 Total ΔT 1.985

Assuming a water inlet temperature of 40° C. a junction temperature of 112° C. is achievable (40+70+2); this is for one of the highest-powered chips that may be used. This attractive result is a consequence of providing a cooling path with low thermal resistance from chip to cooling water. No customized heat sink is required over and above the standardized thermal architecture that is provided for all chips mounted in a computer module 41. The tight thermal coupling of semiconductor components to cooling water also means that hot spots on a die will be less problematic. Table 1 also shows that the temperature drop across the copper sheet is minimal, so the use of brass or another metal instead of copper will have little significance if improved mechanical properties become important. Since reliability is increased for cooler electronic systems, systems employing similar cooling embodiments will tend to have higher reliability than other systems that may allow the junction temperature to rise to around 150° C. for example.

The example of the VEGA 10 being satisfactorily cooled provides an estimate of areal power density in embodiments of the present disclosure. This chip dissipates 300 W over an area of 23×23 mm, assuming a border of 1 mm around mounted components. This converts to an areal power density of 366 W/in². Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure may support an areal power density in the range 200-500 W/in².

There is a limit to heat transfer across a copper-to-water interface; it can be calculated using a convective heat transfer coefficient. This coefficient varies with water velocity as well as surface roughness, viscosity, and other complex factors. Accordingly, adjustments to the thermal design may be required when the coefficient becomes known for a particular set of materials and a particular operating scenario.

Manufacturability of computer modules and water-cooled servers described herein is enhanced by the fact that the electronic structures are regularized. Greater automation is achievable because of the regularized structures. For example, die-level components may be assembled onto a large substrate using a single pass of a precision pick and place machine, as opposed to a mix of manual and automated placements of packaged parts, daughter boards, isolating enclosures, and heat sinks. Similarly, the thermal environment of embodiments described herein provides such strong cooling for all components in a computer module that many conventional rules relating to thermal design may become unnecessary.

FIG. 8 illustrates a computer module 80 having many features of FIG. 6 that have been previously described but comprises an organic substrate 85 and includes patterned thin film layers 81 a, 81 b disposed between polished planar surfaces such as 60 a, 60 b and corresponding sheets of thermal interface material (TIM) 55 b, for example, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The patterned thin film layers may be configured to provide back side power interconnections for the electronic components that are flip-chip mounted on the substrate 85; they may be implemented using dual damascene processing for example. FIG. 8 is not to scale; the x-dimension is expanded with respect to the y-dimension to illustrate certain features (RDLs 54, TIMs 55 a, 55 b, thin film layers 81 a, 81 b) that would not otherwise be visible. Electronic components such as 82 a, 82 b may include through silicon vias (TSVs) 83 a, 83 b to implement back-side connections that may be used for power delivery. The back side connections may connect power distribution traces in thin film layers 81 a, 81 b to selected RDL traces through 83 a, 83 b. Additionally, conductive pins or columns may be provided to connect between opposing faces of electronic assemblies 56 a, 56 b. For example, brass pins 84 a, 84 b may soldered to conductive pads on organic substrate 85. After grinding and polishing to form a polished planar surface 60 on the circuit assembly, a polished and exposed end of a conductive pin such as 84 b may be overlaid with a corresponding power distribution trace (a conducting layer within thin film layers 81 b for example), to form an electrical connection. One supplier of organic substrates with finely patterned redistribution layers is SHINKO ELECTRONIC INDUSTRIES, CO., LTD., (SINKO) with their i-THOP substrate structure. The protrusion of substrate 85 through backing plate 66 is labeled 86.

Metal features 86 a, 86 b, 86 c and end plates of module 80 (not shown) may comprise any metal or metal alloy that combines features such as being impervious to liquid coolant; good thermal conductance; corrosion resistance to cooling fluids including, for example, water and ethylene glycol in different embodiments; compatibility with polishing processes such as chemical mechanical processing (CMP) for achieving a polished planar surface on the side of sheet 86 b that couples with the polished planar surface 60 b (for example coupled through layers 81 b and 55 b in FIG. 8 ); solderability or weldability to form a five-sided enclosure that is sealed against intrusion of liquid coolant; and a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) well matched to silicon for limiting stress in flip chip mounted electronic components. As a non-limiting example, an alloy such as INVAR 36 having a CTE of around 1.2×10⁻⁶/° C. between 20 and 100 degrees Centigrade compares favorably with silicon having a CTE of around 3.3×10⁻⁶/° C.

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary pattern 90 of thin film conductors in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. From FIG. 8 , thin film layers 81 b fabricated on a polished planar surface 60 b of a computer module 80 may comprise a stack of one or more conductive layers, interposed with thin film dielectric layers, implemented using dual damascene processing. Pattern 90 comprises a single conductive layer fabricated on a polished planar surface 60 b, representing the polished back side of a circuit assembly such as 56 b of FIG. 8 . In FIG. 9 , conductive pattern 92 may comprise a ground (GND) connection and conductive pattern 93 may comprise a VCC or VDD connection as examples. In one embodiment, conductive layer 93 is connected via one or more through-chip conductors (such as TSVs 83 a, 83 b) to a power supply having a voltage in the range of 4-16V, and further connected via one or more through chip conductors to voltage regulator chips. This arrangement supports the deployment of local regulators for supplying precision voltage levels to selected electronic components in, for example, circuit assembly 56 b. Conductive layers 92, 93 may include electroplated copper to increase current carrying capacity.

FIG. 10 illustrates a computer module 100 wherein the metal plates used to provide a sealed enclosure are replaced with a thin film metallization 106, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Copper is described herein for this purpose, but any metal having suitable properties may be used. Suitable properties include being impervious to liquid coolant; good thermal conductance; corrosion resistance to cooling fluids including, for example, water and ethylene glycol as well as air in different embodiments; and a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) well matched to silicon for limiting stress in mounted electronic components. Copper is not as well matched thermally as other metals, INVAR 36 for example. However, thin film metal is weaker in tension and compression than the more substantial metal plates that it replaces. Accordingly, the thin film metallization will tend to follow the expansion and contraction of the semiconductor components rather than vice versa. Thus, the thermal configuration illustrated in FIG. 10 results in a reduction of thermally induced stresses in semiconductor components of computer module 100.

In one embodiment, substrate 101 in FIG. 10 is a glass substrate such as EAGLE XGR SLIM glass, used in the manufacture of flat panel displays (FPDs). It has a CTE of 3.2×10⁻⁶/° K, comparing favorably with a CTE for silicon of 2.6-3.3×10⁻⁶/° K. In another embodiment, substrate 101 comprises an organic glass-epoxy substrate with redistribution layers fabricated on each side, following the development by SINKO of their i-THOP packaging structure. In each case, redistribution layers 102 a, 102 b comprise patterned thin film conductors interposed with patterned thin film dielectric layers. For compatibility with devices like high bandwidth memories (HBMs), having densely packed interconnections and a bump pitch of 40 μm or less for example, selected thin film conductors have a half pitch dimension of 2 μm or less. Redistribution layers 102 a, 102 b are typically implemented using dual damascene processing. Electronic components are mounted on substrate 101 to form circuit assemblies 56 a, 56 b, with component terminals attached to RDL attachment points at selected thin film conductors. Component attachments may comprise microbumps, 52, including solder-tipped microbumps, or hybrid bonds. Hybrid bonds comprise bump less connections between embedded copper pads. The electronic components may include a bare die or chiplet, 57, a stacked device comprising an interposer 58, a stacked component comprising a bridge device 59, or a low profile packaged device (not shown). Any semiconductor device may be mounted on substrate 101, including electro-optical components and multi-level stacked devices such as HBMs.

After testing and rework of the mounted components a filler 61 such as epoxy molding compound (EMC) is applied between them; this provides mechanical support for the components during subsequent grinding and polishing operations. FIG. 10 shows that certain back sides of components, the ones most remote or distal from substrate 101, have been ground and polished to form polished planar surfaces 103 a, 103 b, that extend across the outer faces of circuit assemblies 56 a, 56 b. After grinding and polishing, the finished thickness of circuit assemblies 56 a, 56 b may be in a range between 0.4 and 2.0 millimeters for example. Components thinner than the selected thickness may be provided with thermally conductive caps, employing unprocessed silicon chips for example, so that the selected thickness is common to all devices.

Patterned thin film material comprising thin film layers 104 a, 104 b may be fabricated on polished surfaces 103 a, 103 b for providing back side power distribution to selected electronic components; layers 104 a, 104 b are typically implemented using dual damascene processing. In an embodiment, chips 97 a, 97 b comprise through-chip connections such as through-silicon-vias (TSVs) 98 a, 98 b, that connect front-side traces to corresponding conductive layers within thin film layers 104 a, 104 b; this provides connection of one or more power supplies from the front side to the back side of these components. The polished planar surfaces 103 a, 103 b, and this optional deposition of one-or-more thin film layers on top of these surfaces, enables the use of thin thermal interface materials (TIMs), 105 a, 105 b, thereby creating low-resistance thermal paths for dissipating heat from the semiconductor components. For example, TIMs 105 a, 105 b may comprise die attach film ESP7660-HK-DAF, available from AI TECHNOLOGY, and may have a thickness ranging from 10-40 μm. Alternative TIMs may comprise one or more layers of material having a total thickness of 1-100 μm.

Thin film metallization 106 provides a thermally conductive coating on the portions of computer module 100 that are to be immersed in cooling water, or another liquid coolant, or in a cooling air flow. This coating may be achieved in a deposition chamber wherein partially formed computer modules are mounted in a jig and moved on a carousel. For increased thickness to form a stable and robust coating, metallization 106 may be electroplated.

Through-circuit-assembly conductors such as conductive pins 107 a, 107 b may be provided to connect between thin film conductors in RDLs 102 a, 102 b and corresponding conductors in thin film layers 104 a, 104 b. In an embodiment, a conductive trace in thin film layers 104 a, 104 b connects with a power supply having a voltage in a range of 4-16V, and this back side conductor connects via pins 107 a, 107 b and front side traces with corresponding terminals of voltage regulators mounted on substrate 101. The voltage regulators may feed precision power at lower voltages to components mounted on substrate 101.

During construction, circuit assemblies 56 a, 56 b of computer module 100 are not covered by conductive coating 106 at the top end. This opening is provided for making input/output connections from conductive traces in RDLs 102 a, 102 b to corresponding traces on motherboard 43. In an embodiment, to prevent water intrusion that would damage semiconductor components, a gasket 65 is compressed against circuit assemblies 56 a, 56 b using a gasket backing plate 95 as shown. Backing plate 95 may be stiffened using ribs 96 as shown. A socket or connector 68 includes compliant contacts that mate with exposed thin film traces at protrusion 86 of substrate 101 and connect with corresponding motherboard traces via pins 69.

FIG. 11 illustrates a computer module 110 wherein the TIMs 105 a, 105 b of computer module 100 have been eliminated, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Thin film layers 104 a, 104 b include a topmost dielectric layer that provides electrical isolation from features underlying metallization 106. The topmost dielectric layer may comprise silicon nitride for example, having a CTE of around 3.3×10⁻⁶/° C., comparing favorably with silicon having a CTE of 2.6-3.3×10⁻⁶/° C.

The polished planar surfaces 60 a, 60 b described in reference to FIG. 8 are obtained by back-grinding and polishing flip-chip mounted components on first and second sides of substrate 85. Similarly, the polished planar surfaces 103 a and 103 b described in reference to FIGS. 10 and 11 are obtained by back-grinding and polishing components flip-chip mounted on first and second sides of substrate 101.

FIG. 12 illustrates a thermal model 120 for a high-powered semiconductor device 121, the NVIDIA H100 SXM, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. This device incorporates 80 billion transistors including 132 streaming microprocessors, 528 tensor cores, and over 25,000 CUDA cores; it has a die size of 814 mm² and consumes 700 W of power. It normally requires a bulky water-cooled heat sink. In FIG. 12 there is no separate heat sink because none is required, due to the advanced thermal configuration. Device 121 is flip chip attached to substrate 101 which has a thickness, d1, 123 of approximately 0.5 mm. After grinding and polishing operations previously described device 121 has a thickness, d2, 122 of approximately 1 mm. Thermal model 120 is shown including thin film layers 104 b for back side power distribution, although layers 104 b are optional in different embodiments. The stack of conductive and dielectric layers comprising layers 104 b has an exemplary thickness, d3 125 of 10 μm. The dielectric layers included in the backside power distribution layers 104 b may comprise silicon nitride, Si₃N₄, having a thermal conductivity of around 2.1 W/m° C. The conductive layers in 104 b may comprise copper, Cu, having a thermal conductivity of around 390 W/m° C. Metallization 126 is a conductive coating applied to the topmost layer of layers 104 b which is configured as a dielectric layer. Metallization 126 has an approximate thickness, d4, 127 of 10 μm. Table 2 below includes a summary of these values, and computes a total thermal resistance between the front face of device 121 (where the heat-generating active circuits reside) and water coolant 42 of θ=0.00743° C./W. The corresponding ΔT is 5.2° C. Accordingly, thermal model 120 illustrates that the temperature of device 121 is pinned or clamped to the water temperature with a temperature difference of only around 5° C. between them. If the temperature of the flowing water coolant 42 varies between 10 and 65° C., between the front and back ends of a water-cooled server for example, the average maximum junction temperature of semiconductor components mounted in device 121 (including several chips) will be held under a junction temperature of around 70° C. This compares with alternative thermal designs that allow the maximum junction temperature to be around 140° C. for example. Lower junction temperatures achievable with thermal structures like that shown in FIG. 12 enable transistors to have more drive power. System assemblies incorporating the transistors operate at a higher thermal efficiency and with higher long-term reliability.

TABLE 2 A t P σ_(th) θ ΔT Part mm² mm W W/m ° C. ° C./W ° C. Hopper H100 SXM 814 1 700 149 0.00546 3.824 Back side Si3N4 814 0.005 700 2.1 0.00194 1.357 Back side copper 814 0.005 700 390 0.00001 0.007 Metallization 814 0.01 700 390 0.00002 0.015 0.00743 5.203

In prior art systems, semiconductor components are typically encased in packages, with heat sinks required for high-power components. With such an arrangement, only the embedded semiconductor chip or device is doing useful work; the heating of packages and heat sinks represents wasted energy. That is, the presence of packages and heat sinks degrades the achievable energy efficiency of electronic systems that incorporate them; they also take up space and degrade the achievable power density. Heat energy Q=c_(th)×ΔT where c_(th) is thermal mass and ΔT is temperature difference. Accordingly, an energy transfer efficiency for a semiconductor device where heat from a hot surface is transferred via a thermal path to a cold surface, where the temperature difference is ΔT, is calculated as [1-c_(th)(path)/c_(th)(total)], where c_(th)(path) includes elements 104 b and 126, and c_(th)(total) includes the body of device 121 and elements 104 b and 126.

In FIG. 13 the thermal elements comprising the thermal path between the chip and the flowing coolant include only a single thin film dielectric layer 131 and metallization 126, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Metallization 126 may comprise a plated up thin film layer. Both layer 131 and metallization 126 have low thermal mass. To a first approximation, only the thermal elements in the direct thermal path from the semiconductor device to the coolant flow need to be considered, i.e., lateral heat spreading is ignored. Table 3 below documents the results for the selected dimensions of the thermal elements. In Table 3, exemplary values are shown: A=area, t=thickness, Vol=volume, ρ=density, mass=inertial mass, cp=specific heat, cth=thermal mass, P=power, σth=thermal conductivity, θ=thermal resistance, ΔT=temperature difference, and Q=transferred heat energy.

TABLE 3 Q = A t Vol ρ mass c_(p) c_(th) P σ_(th) θ ΔT c_(th) · ΔT Part mm² mm mm³ gm/mm³ gm J/gm ° C. J/° C. W W/m ° C. ° C./W ° C. J Chip 814 1.000 814 0.00233 1.897 0.7 1.328 700 149 0.00546 3.824 5.0771 Si₃N₄ 814 0.005 4.07 0.00271 0.011 0.17 0.002 700 2.1 0.00194 1.357 0.0025 Cu 814 0.010 8.14 0.00896 0.073 0.385 0.028 700 390 0.00002 0.015 0.0004 0.00742 5.195 5.0800 Using the thermal model represented by FIG. 13 and Table 3:

energy transfer efficiency=1−Q(path)/Q(total)=1−0.002954/5.08004=99.9%

This high energy transfer efficiency can be utilized in any electronic system having a coolant flow 133; this includes systems cooled by water flow or air flow in different embodiments. Accordingly, teachings of the present disclosure can be applied to air-cooled electronic systems, including as examples automotive systems, portable systems such as mobile phones and virtual reality headsets, and high-performance computing (HPC) systems such as servers and supercomputers.

As will be understood by those familiar with the art, the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Likewise, the particular naming and division of the members, features, attributes, and other aspects are not mandatory or significant, and the mechanisms that implement the invention or its features may have different structural construct, names, and divisions. Accordingly, the disclosure of the invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention.

While the invention has been described in terms of several embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described but can be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Another embodiment may comprise a computer module having a greater or lesser number of substrate mounting surfaces for example. Other embodiments may have different overall sizes and form factors for the computer module 41 and the water-cooled server 30. The description is thus to be regarded as illustrative instead of limiting. There are numerous other variations to different aspects of the invention described above, which in the interest of conciseness have not been provided in detail. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the claims.

The invention has been described in relation to particular examples, which are intended in all respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many different combinations will be suitable for practicing the present invention. For example, the teachings relating to energy transfer efficiency may be applied to other electronic systems such as air-cooled systems or systems having space limitations or aggressive cooling requirements. Other implementations of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. Various aspects and/or components of the described embodiments may be used singly or in any combination. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer module comprising: a substrate having a first side and a second side; a plurality of electronic components flip-chip mounted on the first and second sides of the substrate; and a sealed enclosure having an opening at a top of the enclosure for a connector, the sealed enclosure comprising a metallization that is impervious to water except for the opening, wherein the metallization is coupled to polished planar surfaces at the first and second sides of the substrate, the polished planar surfaces created by back-grinding and polishing the plurality of electronic components flip-chip mounted on the first and second sides of the substrate.
 2. The computer module of claim 1 wherein the metallization is coupled to the polished planar surfaces on the first and second sides with a thermal interface material disposed between them.
 3. The computer module of claim 1 wherein the metallization is coupled to the polished planar surfaces with a dielectric coating disposed between them.
 4. The computer module of claim 1 further comprising a filler material disposed in spaces between the flip-chip mounted components.
 5. The computer module of claim 1 further comprising redistribution layers comprising thin film conductors and thin film dielectrics formed on the first and second sides of the substrate, wherein selected thin film conductors have a half-pitch of 2 μm or less.
 6. The computer module of claim 1 further comprising a gasket and a gasket backing plate at an open end of the sealed enclosure.
 7. The computer module of claim 4 wherein a portion of the substrate protrudes through the gasket backing plate.
 8. The computer module of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electronic components are selected from bare die, chiplets, stacked devices, and low-profile packaged devices.
 9. The computer module of claim 8, wherein the stacked devices comprise a chiplet, an interposer, or a bridge device.
 10. The computer module of claim 7 further comprising a connector attached to the substrate where it protrudes through the gasket backing plate, with terminals of the connector connected to selected thin film conductors.
 11. The computer module of claim 1 wherein the flip chip components mounted at the second side of the substrate are mirror-imaged in relation to the flip chip components mounted at the first side of the substrate.
 12. The computer module of claim 2 wherein the thermal interface material comprises a die attach film.
 13. The computer module of claim 2 wherein the thermal interface material comprises one or more layers of material having a total thickness in the range of 1-50 μm.
 14. The computer module of claim 1 wherein the plurality of electronic components mounted on the substrate are organized in tiles arrayed on each side of the substrate.
 15. The computer module of claim 14 wherein each tile is operable as an independently operable cluster of components.
 16. The computer module of claim 14 wherein each tile includes at least one processor, at least one memory device, at least one communication device, and at least one sensor.
 17. The computer module of claim 14 wherein each tile includes redundant components, a test/monitor chip, and a power distribution device.
 18. The computer module of claim 14 wherein each tile is networked with one or more neighboring tiles on each side of the substrate.
 19. The computer module of claim 14 wherein each tile is operable at a power level in the range of 200-1,000 watts per square inch on each side of the substrate.
 20. The computer module of claim 1 further comprising one or more layers of patterned thin film material at back sides of the flip-chip mounted components, disposed between each polished planar surface and the metallization.
 21. The computer module of claim 20 wherein the one or more layers of patterned thin film material at the back sides of flip-chip mounted components are configured to distribute back side power to the electronic components.
 22. The computer module of claim 21 wherein one of the one or more layers of patterned thin film material at the back sides of flip-chip mounted components is connected via through-chip conductors to a power supply voltage in the range of 4-16V at the front side, and to voltage regulator chips at the front side.
 23. A water-cooled server comprising a plurality of computer modules partially immersed in cooling water circulating within a tank, each computer module comprising: a substrate having a first side and a second side; a plurality of electronic components flip-chip mounted on the first and second sides of the substrate; and a sealed enclosure having an opening at a top of the enclosure for a connector, the sealed enclosure comprising a metallization that is impervious to water except for the opening, wherein the metallization is coupled to polished planar surfaces at the first and second sides of the substrate, the polished planar surfaces created by back-grinding and polishing the plurality of electronic components flip-chip mounted on the first and second sides of the substrate. 